BBC governor 'tried to suppress quango report'

A BBC governor tried to suppress programmes critical of government quangos and failed to declare an interest in a quango highlighted, it was alleged yesterday, writes Chris Blackhurst.

According to a Commons motion, Dr Gwyn Jones, the BBC National Governor for Wales, attacked Week In Week Out at last month's meeting of the BBC Broadcasting Council for Wales.

In its edition of 31 May, Week In Week Out highlighted two alleged scandals involving the Welsh Development Agency, one of them a secret deal allowing Tesco, the retail group, to acquire land for a supermarket in Aberdare, Mid Glamorgan.

Dr Jones was WDA chief executive until he resigned last June. He remained chairman of the Welsh Broadcasting Council, which gives him a seat on the BBC's board of governors. He is also a non- executive director of Tesco.

A BBC Wales spokesman said there was no need for Broadcasting Council members to declare an interest 'because their backgrounds are well known'.

The motion, signed by six Welsh MPs, calls upon Dr Jones to resign as a BBC governor and to leave the Broadcasting Council.